Never Look Back
by Jaudreylover24
Summary: Mostly a season 6 AU, where Audrey never went to China. Jack returns and finds that things have changed. But, he is dealing with his own inner demons. The only person who can help him through it is Audrey.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Chapter 1 takes place during season 5 episode 21. Jack brings the recording of President Logan back to CTU. Then he visits Audrey in medical which is the scene that I'm elaborating on in this chapter. This chapter I guess could be rated M but the rest will be T. I hope you like it! Please review!_

Jack rushed down the hallway towards medical where Audrey was. He thought back to when Henderson cut her arm. She had lost so much blood and he was scared of losing her. When he walked through the doors, Audrey was on the phone. Jack smiled at her as she looked up at him. She quickly finished leaving a message for her father and hung up.

"It looks like my dad is going to be alright," Audrey told him. Her father had driven off the side of a cliff a few hours before.

"Yeah, I know. I heard," Jack smiled, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and brushing his hand against her cheek.

"God, I'm so glad to see you," Audrey said.

"Me too," Jack replied, leaning down to kiss her. Their kiss was gentle but full of longing. It had been too long since they had been together. Audrey couldn't believe this was happening. She had believed he was dead and that she would never see him again. They pulled apart slowly, not really wanting to stop.

"We did it. We got the evidence," Jack said. Audrey sighed in relief. "The attorney general is going to be here soon."

"So, it's over?" Audrey asked.

"Yeah," Jack ensured her. "President Logan's going to pay for David Palmer's assassination."

Jack thanked her. She had helped so much and Jack was happy to have her there. Audrey put her hand against Jack's cheek and Jack did the same to her. She pulled him closer so that their foreheads were pressed together.

"Jack, I love you," Audrey said. After everything that had happened between them eighteen months ago, Jack couldn't believe that she still felt that way about him. Jack kissed her in response. This kiss was more passionate than the last. They were making up for eighteen months of being apart.

Audrey pulled away, keeping Jack's face next to hers. She was out of breath. "How long do you have?"

"A little less than ten minutes," Jack said.

"Come with me," she whispered. She stood up and grabbed Jack's hand, leading him to the bathroom attached to the medical unit. Audrey closed the door behind them and locked it. She wrapped her good arm around Jack's neck and rested the other one on his chest as they kissed again. Jack's hands rested on her hips.

As their kiss deepened, Audrey pushed Jack's jacket off his shoulders and then took off his shirt. As much as Jack wanted to continue, he knew that this wasn't the right place or time. They hadn't had sex in so long and Jack wanted their first time back together to be special. He also considered the fact that he still didn't know how he could stay. He would surely be handed over to the Chinese or have to disappear again. He didn't want to do this if he was going to be leaving her anyway.

"Audrey," Jack said, stepping back. "We shouldn't do this. I don't even know if I can stay here after today. It's not fair to you."

"I know," Audrey said. Of course she realized that he might have to disappear again. She considered telling him that she would go with him. But, she already knew his answer would be no and that once again their time together would end with a regretted conversation. But, having sex with the man she was in love with was something she would not regret. "This could be our last chance to do this. Ever. I love you."

Jack kissed her. She seemed to understand what he was saying and was okay with doing it anyway. He certainly couldn't deny that he wanted this. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her as close to him as possible. Audrey could feel his hardness against her leg. Jack took off her tank top and pushed down her sweatpants leaving her in just a black bra and panties. Jack pulled back for a moment and looked at her, trying to remember every inch of her.

"You are so beautiful," Jack told her.

Audrey kissed Jack's neck as she fumbled with getting his jeans off. She pushed them and his boxers off in one motion. She dropped to her knees and took him into her mouth. Jack was enjoying it but could tell he was close. He pulled her back onto her feet. He pushed her against the countertop in the bathroom and held her so she was sitting just on the edge of it. He unclasped her bra and replaced it with his mouth. His hands worked on taking off her panties. Audrey gasped as he put two fingers inside her.

"Jack," she whispered after a moment. Jack removed his fingers and slowly pushed himself inside of her. They kissed as they made love, eventually climaxing at the same time.

"I love you so much," Audrey said, resting her head against Jack's.

"I love you too," Jack told her. Suddenly he remembered that he had to go for the conference with the attorney general. "I'm sorry. I have to go."

"I know," Audrey said. They got dressed and Audrey kissed Jack again before he left. "I'll see you soon."

 _A/N: After this, day 5 proceeds as usual with Jack getting kidnapped by the Chinese. The rest of the story (with the exception of some potential flashbacks) will be a season 6 AU._


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: The rest of the story takes place after Jack stops the terrorist attacks in season 6. Flashbacks will be in italics. Audrey never went to China and was not presumed dead so Jack doesn't receive a call from the Chinese asking him to deliver the circuit board. Enjoy!_

Jack was relieved. They had stopped the terrorist attacks. He was in an SUV taking him back to CTU. It was strange now. Nobody was after him. He wasn't going to be taken by the Chinese. He could live his life. That is if he still had one. It had been twenty months since he had seen Audrey and his daughter. He still remembered the way Kim had resented him after finding out he was alive. After all this time he still thought about Audrey and desperately wanted to be with her. But, after almost two years what were the chances that she'd feel the same. He sighed. He knew he had to find her at least and tell her that he was okay. He told himself that he would be happy for her if she was with someone else but he knew he'd be heartbroken.

He also felt slightly angry. Audrey and her father didn't owe him anything. But, with her father in the position that he was, Jack thought he would have come up with a way to get him out of China. He thought Audrey would have pushed. But, he convinced himself that maybe he didn't know the whole story. Maybe they had tried. He wouldn't know for sure until he found her. When he got to CTU, he sought out Chloe who looked like she was about to leave. The next shift of workers were coming in.

"Chloe," Jack said, stopping her. "Can you help me with something?"

"Sure, Jack. What is it?" Chloe asked.

"Can you help me find Audrey?" Jack asked. "And Kim?"

"Yeah, of course," Chloe said. Jack noticed that her demeanor changed. She looked like she was holding something back. Chloe quickly looked up their addresses and wrote them down for Jack.

"Are you sure this is right?" Jack asked, looking down at the paper in front of him. The two addresses were on the same street in LA. Audrey and Kim were living a few houses apart.

"Yeah," Chloe said, trying to explain without telling him too much about the events that happened while he was in China. "Audrey and Kim got close because they were looking for you."

"What aren't you telling me?" Jack asked, concerned as to why Chloe would be keeping anything from him. Maybe Audrey had moved on and Chloe didn't want to upset him. Or Kim had gotten married to that terrible psychologist, Barry.

"I shouldn't say. I can't say. Sorry," Chloe said, walking out before Jack could persuade her. Jack sighed. Time to find out.

* * *

Jack parked on the street that Kim and Audrey lived on. He looked down at the paper again. Did he want to see Kim or Audrey first? Kim had hated him when he returned from the dead. But, according to Chloe, she had been looking for him. Jack took this to mean that maybe she would be happy to see him. And, then there was Audrey. After eighteen months, Audrey still loved him when he came back from the dead. She was happy he was alive. She had been looking for him too, according to Chloe. But, the way Chloe had responded made him believe that she had probably moved on. He couldn't blame her. It had been almost two years. But, it would still hurt. Jack decided that he would try Kim first. He got out of his car and knocked on the door. He was surprised when a man opened the door.

"Hi," Jack said. "Sorry. I think I have the wrong house."

"Mr. Bauer?" the man asked, questioningly but also excitedly. "You're Kim's dad, right?"

"Kim lives here?" Jack asked.

"Yes sir. I'm Stephen. I'm Kim's boyfriend. She is going to be so happy to see you!"

Jack smiled. He already liked this guy more than the last one he met. "Is she here?"

"She's down the street at Audrey's," Stephen said, walking out the door. "I'll walk with you. I have to see her face when she sees you. She and Audrey were doing everything they could to get you home."

They got to Audrey's door and Stephen knocked. Jack's heart was pounding. Jack heard Audrey from inside.

"Kim, can you get that?" Audrey yelled. Kim opened the door and stood staring at her father in shock.

"Oh my God," she said, pushing past Stephen to hug her dad. "Are you okay? How did you get back?"

"I'm fine," Jack said, hugging his daughter tightly in what felt like the first time in forever. "It's so good to see you."

"I missed you. I'm so sorry for everything," she said, hugging him again. She finally let go and told him to come into the house. "I can't believe you're here."

"Kim, who was it?" Audrey asked, rounding the corner.

"Hey," Jack said, softly as she came into sight. Jack immediately noticed how tired Audrey looked. She was wearing sweatpants and one of his old t-shirts. She wore no makeup and her hair was disheveled. He still thought she was the most beautiful woman in the world.

Audrey froze for a moment, feeling like she was going to fall to the ground. Her eyes welled up with tears. Finally, she ran over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. She nuzzled her face against his and kissed him passionately, forgetting that there were other people in the room. All she cared about was trying to take away the pain that he had probably endured in the past two years.

They were interrupted by a distressed noise behind them. "Mama!"

Jack looked over Audrey's shoulder and saw a baby boy that was using a pretend vacuum cleaner to walk. Jack figured the baby looked to be just under a year old. He saw Kim crouching down next to him.

"You had a baby?" Jack asked Kim, trying to figure out the timeline.

"Actually, Jack," Audrey started nervously, grabbing his hand. "We did."

"What? How?" Jack asked, completely shocked. Audrey could tell that Jack was freaking out. This was certainly not expected. It hadn't been for Audrey either when she found out.

* * *

 _2 months after Jack was taken by the Chinese:_

 _James Heller went watched his daughter work diligently in the conference room. It was a Saturday so there was no reason that Audrey should be working. He shook his head, not knowing what he could do for her. He had tried to help her get Jack out of China but there was nothing to be done. Yet, she spent every moment doing research. He was pretty sure she hadn't slept in, or at least slept well, in days. He knew she wasn't eating much either. He walked into the conference room._

" _Audrey, sweetheart," he said. "You need to go home."_

" _I have to get him out of there," Audrey argued._

" _I know. But, you are neglecting to take care of yourself. How can you expect to be efficient if you're not at 100%?"_

" _I'm fine," Audrey argued. She knew it wasn't true. She couldn't sleep or eat. She felt nauseous constantly. She was in complete panic mode._

" _Come on," Heller said, forcing her to get up and put her efforts on hold for the night. As she started walking she fainted. "Audrey!"_

 _Heller knelt to the ground, panicked. Audrey woke up in just a few seconds._

" _What happened?" Audrey asked._

" _You passed out. Are you okay?" he asked._

" _Yeah, just a little lightheaded," she said._

" _Come on. You're going to the doctor's," Heller insisted. Audrey tried to protest. She had so much to do and knew her lightheadedness was just from lack of eating. Heller dismissed her protests and brought her to her doctor's._

" _Alright, Audrey, what's going on?" the doctor asked. Audrey explained to him that she had been feeling terrible lately but that it was purely stress related and that she was only there to appease her father._

" _Well, why don't we run some tests while we're here anyway," the doctor suggested. He drew some blood and asked her questions while he waited for the nurse to return with the results. The nurse returned and handed some papers to the doctor._

" _Well, it's not stress related," the doctor told Audrey. "You're pregnant."_

 _Audrey stared wide-eyed at the doctor in disbelief. "No, I can't-."_

 _Then the realization set in. She had gone off the pill after Jack died. And, then she slept with him when he returned without protection. She started to cry uncontrollably. She was hyperventilating and the doctor came over and put a hand on her shoulder._

" _It's okay," the doctor said, trying to be comforting. "Look there are several options that we can-"_

" _What?" Audrey asked, suddenly coming out of her crying fit. Just the thought of the options he was suggesting was too much to bear. She couldn't give her baby away or have an abortion. "No. I don't need options."_

 _Audrey wiped her eyes, thanked the doctor, and walked out to the waiting area where her dad was._

" _Let's go," Audrey said, heading for the door._

" _Is everything okay?" Heller asked, noticing that she had clearly been crying. Audrey nodded and kept on her path to the car and got inside. Once they were both inside, Audrey hugged her dad and cried. "What's wrong, sweetheart?"_

" _I'm pregnant," Audrey said, between sobs._

 _Heller was confused for a moment. "Jack's?"_

 _Audrey nodded and her dad hugged her tighter._

" _I don't want to do this alone," Audrey said. "I need to get him back."_

" _What you need is to take care of yourself," Heller told her. "And the baby. That's what Jack would want you to do."_

 _Audrey nodded, knowing he was right. She had to pull herself back together. She would still look for Jack but she knew she had to put the baby first now._

* * *

"Why don't we give you guys some space," Kim suggested, grabbing Stephen by the arm and heading to the door. "We can come back for lunch."

Audrey studied Jack's face which had gone completely pale. He was trying to process everything. She could tell he wasn't excited at the thought of having a baby.

"Are you okay?" Audrey asked.

"You had a-" Jack started, not able to get the word baby out. "And I'm the-"

"Father?" Audrey finished for him. "Yeah."

"How?" Jack asked. "I've been away for-"

"One year, eight months, and six days," Audrey told him. "Subtract nine months gives you a baby that's a eleven months old.

"I named him after you, Jack," Audrey told him, hoping that Jack's look of pure terror would subside soon.

"I need some air. Excuse me," Jack said, walking out the door.

"Jack, wait," Audrey called out.

Audrey's eyes filled with tears as he shut the door behind him. She sat down next to baby Jack on the floor and held him closely.

"Looks like it's just you and me again, buddy," she whispered to him.

* * *

Jack walked as quickly as he could away from Audrey's house. He found a small empty park and took a seat on a bench. He buried his head in his hands and forced back tears. He had made a huge mess of his life. He reflected back to Kim's childhood. He had missed so many of the crucial moments in her life because of work. It had been his biggest regret in life. When Teri had told him before she died that she was pregnant, Jack promised himself that he would be a better father to this child. That he would give up field work to keep himself and his family safe. But, Teri had been taken from him along with his unborn child.

He let his world spiral out of control after that. Until Audrey. He could finally see a future with someone again. He wanted to have everything with her. But, he messed that up too by going back into the field. He remembered the way his relationship with Audrey had turned completely upside down that day. And, he got himself in trouble with the Chinese. He faked his death which only lead to people he cared about getting killed. Coming back, Kim despised him. The one bright side was Audrey. She had forgiven him and he allowed himself to get too close to her again emotionally. And physically. She had gotten pregnant and he was taken by the Chinese. Audrey had spent the last two years alone, trying to raise their child. He had once again missed parts of his child's life that he could never get back. He was angry with himself. Part of him wanted to leave. He figured his son would be better off without him. Audrey and Kim would be better off without him. But, for whatever reason, they were happy he was back. Audrey seemingly wanted him to be a part of her life. He didn't want to let her down.

* * *

Audrey heard a knock on the door and opened it revealing Jack.

"Thank God you're okay. I sent Kim and Stephen to look for you," Audrey said, pulling out her phone and sending them a text.

"I'm sorry," Jack apologized. "I didn't mean to worry you. I just needed to think."

"And how did your thinking go?" Audrey asked, sitting him down on the couch. She was surprised when Jack pulled her into a hug and buried his face into her shoulder. She ran a hand through his hair. "I know this is a lot, Jack. I would understand if you don't want this. I don't want you to feel like you've been trapped into something you don't want."

Jack sighed. "Audrey, I'm a terrible father."

Audrey pulled out of the hug to look him in the eye. "Why would you say that?"

"I wasn't there for Kim when she was little. And, now I missed his life," Jack said. Audrey's heart ached for him. She could see the despair in his eyes. It wasn't very often that Jack was vulnerable with people, but this was clearly hitting him hard.

"And now you can be," Audrey said. "You can be there for both of them. It's never too late."

Jack nodded, "Okay."

He kissed Audrey, lovingly and for a moment Jack felt like everything was okay again.


	3. Chapter 3

Jack spent the rest of the morning getting to know his son. He enjoyed watching Audrey interact with the baby. She was clearly a natural at this, which he wished he could be. He liked kids and could get along well with them. But, he didn't feel like the baby's father. He felt like a visitor instead. He knew it would take time. Right now, Jack didn't feel comfortable doing anything with baby Jack without Audrey's permission.

Jack watched as Audrey sat on the floor next to baby Jack who abandoned his toy and crawled over to his mom. Audrey put her hands in front of her and baby Jack used them as support to stand up. The child started to laugh as he hit his hands against Audrey's making a clapping noise. Jack watched as Audrey's face showed pure joy and love for her child.

"You're amazing," Jack told her. Audrey looked up at Jack and blushed.

"I didn't do anything," Audrey replied.

"You went through pregnancy, labor, and raising a baby all by yourself. And, you still have everything together," Jack said.

"Oh please," Audrey laughed. "I do not have it all together. And, I wasn't all by myself the whole time. Kim helps me so much. I don't know how I could have done this without her. Today is a good day. He hasn't cried once. Some days are an absolute nightmare."

Baby Jack made a incomprehensible sound to get their attention.

"Are we not paying enough attention to you, buddy?" Audrey asked. The baby was still standing while holding Audrey's hands and started bouncing at the knees causing him to fall on his butt. He looked up at Audrey and then at Jack. This time he crawled towards Jack. Jack put his hands out like Audrey had done before and the baby grabbed them and pulled himself up. Audrey couldn't wipe the smile off her face at the sight of Jack and the baby connecting. Baby Jack started bouncing again like before.

"Up!" Baby Jack yelled.

Audrey smiled, "He wants you to pick him up."

Jack took that as permission and grabbed his son gently and lifted him into the air. Baby Jack let out a playful laugh. Jack put him back down where he had been.

"Up!" Baby Jack yelled again. Jack did it again. And again.

"Have fun doing that for another five hours," Audrey teased, standing up. "I'm going to get his lunch ready. Kim and Stephen should be here soon with pizza."

A few minutes later, Kim and Stephen walked through the door. Jack was happy to see them but slightly disappointed that as they came in, baby Jack left his side and crawled go see Kim instead.

"Hey kid," she said, scooping him up. She hugged Jack while still holding the baby. "Hey Dad."

They went to the table to eat lunch. Jack tried not to show it but he was thrilled about getting pizza. In China, he often had no idea what he was eating. It tasted terrible which he assumed was the reason they gave it to him. He was happy to have real food. But, he didn't want to tell his family that. The less they knew about the horrible conditions he endured over there the better.

"So, how did you guys end up living on the same street?" Jack asked.

Kim started, "Well, about a week after I saw you at CTU, I called Audrey trying to find you. She told me that the Chinese found you. I told her I wanted to help anyway I could to get you out."

"I was flying back and forth between here and D.C. constantly, working all different angles to get you out," Audrey said. "But, when I found out I was pregnant I decided I was overexerting myself too much and that I would have to pick either L.A. or D.C."

"And, I wanted to know my baby brother," Kim said. "So, we decided that having houses close by would make it easier to work together on finding you while taking care of Jack."

"Sorry that we didn't do the first part very well," Audrey said, sadly. Jack put a hand on her shoulder.

"There wasn't anything more you could have done," Jack said, remembering that the only way CTU had gotten him out was as a bartering tool. He was supposed to be dead right now if that had gone as planned.

"How did you get out?" Stephen asked.

"CTU made some negotiations," Jack replied, vaguely.

"What kind of negotiations?" Kim inquired.

"It doesn't matter. I'm here now," Jack insisted. Kim looked like she was about to ask more questions but Audrey gave her a look telling her not to push. Audrey knew that Jack would open up on his own terms. Audrey changed the subject quickly and they enjoyed their lunch.

"So, Dad, when are you going to shop for new clothes and stuff?" Kim asked, after they finished eating.

"I don't know," Jack said.

"Well, I could go with you today if you want," Kim suggested.

"Um," Jack waivered. He knew he needed clothes. But, he had no money. He didn't want to have to ask them for it.

"Here," Audrey said, handing him a credit card. "You really should go today. Otherwise you won't have anything to wear tomorrow."

Jack reluctantly took the card. Audrey stood up and started clearing the table.

"If you'd rather go alone, I'd understand," Kim told him. "I just thought it'd be nice to spend some time together."

Jack smiled. "Of course, I want you to come. If I have to be at a mall, I would much rather be there with you."

"Yay!" she exclaimed. She knew letting her father go shopping alone would result in him getting the bare minimum of what he needed. Jack kissed Audrey goodbye and headed out the door and Kim was just behind him. Audrey pulled Kim aside as she tried to leave.

"Make sure he gets everything he needs and doesn't worry about price," Audrey told her.

"I'll try but he can be a bit stubborn," Kim said. She walked out and got into her car.

"What did Audrey want?" Jack asked, as Kim started the car.

"Uh, she just wants us to pick up diapers," Kim lied.

"What did she really want?" Jack asked.

Kim sighed. "She told me to make sure you use as much money as you need because she could tell that you hated taking her money."

"Well, that's true," he admitted.

Kim shrugged. "She's loaded. I wouldn't feel bad."

"It's not about how much money she has," Jack said. "It's her money. She's earned it and it just doesn't feel right to take it from her."

"But Dad, she's more than okay with it. And, it will make her feel useful," Kim told him. "Audrey has spent the last twenty months feeling like a complete failure for not getting you out of China. Let her help you now."

Jack sighed. "Okay."

He hated accepting help but if it would make Audrey happy he would do it. He and Kim shopped for a few hours while Kim told him all about how she had met Stephen and how happy he makes her. Jack enjoyed hearing all about it and was happy that Kim was so happy.

"So, how are you feeling about being a dad again?" Kim asked, as they got situated in the car to head home.

"Stressed, mostly," Jack said.

Kim smiled sympathetically. "You're a great dad. There's nothing to be stressed over. Jack loves everyone."

"I don't know the first thing about raising a one year old," Jack admitted.

"Well, you're not doing it alone," Kim reminded him. "And, nobody is asking you to step right into the role of dad. It'll take time for you to really feel like his dad."

"I know," Jack sighed. "So what did you think when you found out Audrey was pregnant?"

"I felt bad," Kim said. "I had kind of accused her of giving up on you and then she just completely surprised me."

* * *

" _I need to get some sleep," Audrey commented, rubbing her eyes. She and Kim had been working all day and night. She was in LA only for the weekend._

" _Sleep?" Kim asked. "Seriously? I'm sure my dad is sleeping great in a Chinese prison."_

" _I know," Audrey said. It had been a month since she found out she was pregnant and was doing a much better job of taking care of herself. But it wasn't easy when Kim was reminding her of how badly they need to get Jack back._

" _I think we should revisit the idea of going to China," Kim suggested. They had discussed it before. They would go to China and rescue him. They had decided that it was too dangerous. But, it had been too long without any progress._

" _I can't," Audrey said._

" _Can't? Or don't want to?" Kim asked, angrily. "I feel like you're giving up on him. He would have done it for you if the tables were turned."_

" _I know he would," Audrey said. "And, I would too at this point but-"_

" _But, what?" Kim asked. "There is no reason not to go unless you just don't care about him anymore."_

" _I'm pregnant," Audrey blurted out, hating that Kim was accusing her of not caring about Jack enough to rescue him._

" _What?" Kim asked, her anger subsiding._

" _I'm pregnant," Audrey repeated, tears coming to her eyes. "It's your father's. I'm sorry. I want to save him but I need to take care of the baby too. I'm so sorry."_

" _Oh my God," Kim said, shocked. Audrey was crying into her hands now and Kim felt bad for being so hard on her. "I'm sorry. I know you love him. Really, I wasn't thinking."_

" _It's fine," Audrey said, wiping her tears. "I'm fine. I cry all the time now. It's the hormones. Mostly."_

" _So, what now?" Kim asked._

" _What do you mean?" Audrey asked. "I still can fly here on the weekends and work with you and work in DC during the week."_

" _And, what about when you aren't allowed to fly anymore? Or when you actually have the baby and are way too busy?"_

" _Well, I was hoping we could get Jack out before then," Audrey said, hopefully._

" _I don't know. I just don't see it happening. We have been working so hard on this and I just don't think it's going to happen anytime soon."_

 _Audrey nodded in agreement._

" _You know I always wanted a brother or sister," Kim commented with a smile. "I wish you didn't live in DC so I could actually see the kid every once in a while."_

" _I know. Me too," Audrey said. Audrey was getting even more tired and decided to go back to the hotel. As she drove from Kim's house to her hotel she passed a house down the street with a "For Sale" sign. She called Kim immediately._

" _Is everything okay?" Kim answered, having seen on caller ID that it was Audrey._

" _What if I move here?" Audrey suggested. "You would get to know your brother or sister and we would still be able to work together on finding your dad."_

" _That would be great!" Kim exclaimed. It was hardly a traditional family but both Kim and Audrey were excited to not be alone anymore._

* * *

"It's nice," Kim told her Dad. "Having her and the baby around. It's nice having a family to spend time with."

Jack was glad to hear that Kim was enjoying being a big sister but also felt guilty. It was his own fault that Kim didn't feel like she had a family. First, Teri died. Then, their relationship had been so torn apart for so long. When he had faked his death, he had once again let her down.

Kim parked the car in Audrey's driveway and helped Jack carry in some of the shopping bags. Kim opened the door.

"The baby is probably napping," Kim said, quietly to Jack. "Audrey's probably upstairs."

Kim led Jack upstairs and pointed out which door was the baby's room. They walked into Audrey's bedroom and found Audrey lying on the bed.

"How did shopping go?" Audrey asked, as they walked in.

"It was great!" Kim said. "Look at all the stuff we bought."

Kim started showing off the things they bought. Jack could tell that Audrey wasn't fully paying attention. Her eyes were slightly red so he knew she had been crying before they got home. After Kim was done showing Audrey all of Jack's new things, Kim went home.

Jack sat at the edge of the bed. He wanted desperately to lay down. It had been such a long day. But, this wasn't his house. He and Audrey were not together and this was not his bed. He looked up at Audrey.

"Are you okay?" Jack asked, noticing her eyes again.

Audrey nodded.

"You've been crying," Jack pointed out.

"I just hate that I failed you," Audrey admitted.

"Audrey," Jack said, reaching over to wipe away a tear that was falling. "You did not fail me. You did everything you could."

"Did I?" Audrey asked, clearly angry with herself. "CTU got you out. They obviously did something that I didn't think of."

"CTU used me," Jack told her. "The terrorist attacks that have been happening around here lately. One of the terrorists agreed to give CTU information in return for getting to kill me. That's why CTU suddenly became interested in getting me out."

"How are you still alive then?" Audrey asked.

"I found out that the terrorist was lying to CTU about who was behind the attacks. I broke out to warn CTU."

"When was all this?"

"Yesterday morning," Jack told her.

"You helped them stop the attacks?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Jack," Audrey sighed. "You must be exhausted. Lay down."

"I'm fine," Jack insisted.

"You really need to sleep," Audrey argued. "You've had such a long day."

"Okay," Jack said, giving into the fact that he was extremely tired. He still didn't want to assume it was okay for him to sleep in Audrey's bed. "I'll just go to the couch."

"No. You should sleep in the bed," Audrey told him. She realized that he was uncomfortable by it. Her heart sank a little thinking he might not want to sleep in her bed because he wasn't sure he wanted to be with her. She stood up, giving him the whole bed to himself. The last thing she wanted was to push their relationship on him.

"Thank you," he said as she walked out of the room. Jack fell asleep within minutes of his head hitting the pillow.


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: Enjoy! Sorry it takes me so long to update. This chapter is still going through Jack's first day back from China and then the following day where he has the chance to spend the whole day with his son. Let me know what you think!_

Jack woke from his nap about two hours later from a nightmare. He was happy that it had been mild and that he hadn't woke up screaming. The last thing he wanted was to worry Audrey. As he straightened out the sheets on Audrey's bed, he heard the baby crying. He went down the hall and found Audrey holding the baby and shushing him.

"Hey," Jack greeted.

Audrey looked up. "I'm so sorry he woke you."

"I was already awake when he started crying," Jack insisted. Jack Jr. was still crying. Jack reached out and rubbed the baby's back gently. The baby stopped wailing for a moment and looked up at Jack with tear filled eyes.

"Who's that?" Audrey whispered to the baby, trying to keep him happy. "Can you say 'daddy'?"

"Da!" the baby shouted trying to copy Audrey. Jack and Audrey smiled down at him. Audrey's heart felt so full. She had dreamt of a situation where she, Jack, and the baby could be a family. When Jack Jr. had been born, she wanted nothing more than to be able to share him with Jack. But as time progressed, she had become more and more sure that she would never see Jack again.

"Audrey," Jack said, pulling her out of her thoughts. He seemed unsure of what he was about to ask her. "Would it be okay if I held him?"

Audrey smiled and handed Jack his son. "You don't have to ask, Jack. He's your son."

She and Jack sat on the couch, while Jack still held onto his son. Audrey watched as the boys interacted, clearly getting along well. Jack couldn't suppress his smile as he sat with his son who was full of smiles and laughter. He looked over at Audrey who was wiping away a tear.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Jack asked, shifting his position on the couch to be closer to her.

"Nothing," Audrey smiled. "I'm happy. This is all I've wanted. To have you back with us. You have no idea how much I wanted this. I know it's been a long time, and I don't expect you to still feel this way, but I love you. I've never stopped."

Jack pulled Audrey closer. One arm was draped around Audrey and the other was holding the baby. But, right now the only thing Jack and Audrey were focused on was each other.

"Audrey, I thought about you every single day that I was in China. You were the only reason that I held on," Jack admitted, putting his forehead against hers. "I love you so much."

They kissed gently, both of them savoring the moment. They had already kissed before, when Jack first arrived, but this was different. This time they knew exactly how they felt about one another. They were enjoying their slow but loving kiss when they each felt a small hand pushing on their cheeks. They broke apart laughing and looked at Jack Jr. who was trying to get in between them. Jack held the baby between them and each gave him a kiss on the cheek.

That night, Audrey and Jack fed, bathed, and changed Jack Jr. together. When it was time for the baby's bedtime, Audrey carried the child to his bedroom and sat with him in a rocking chair. Jack watched as Audrey read the baby a story and Jack Jr. smiled and pointed at the pictures in the book. Finally, Jack and Audrey both gave him a kiss goodnight.

As they closed the door, Jack and Audrey smiled at each other. It was the first night that they had tucked their child into bed together as a family. It felt right.

Jack and Audrey sat down on the couch and got comfortable. Jack unconsciously draped his arm around Audrey's shoulder and Audrey nestled into him. Audrey smiled at how good it felt to be in his arms.

"I missed you," Audrey whispered.

"I missed you, too," Jack repeated. He had spent every day in China thinking of her. Remembering her helped him escape from the pain that Cheng was inflicting on him. Part of him always hoped that she had moved on and was happy since they would probably never see each other again. But, he also knew that it would hurt if she did.

He couldn't understand the hold she had on him. He had been immediately drawn to her from the moment they met. He found it easy to talk to her, both of them sharing small details about their personal life when they would stay late for work. That was not something Jack would usually do with a co-worker, especially one that he hadn't known for long. But, with Audrey, things were different. He felt comfortable opening up to her as she always seemed to know when to ask questions and when to back off. From there, they had established a strong friendship. Jack knew he felt stronger feelings for her than friendship but suppressed those feelings as best he could. He was happy to have a normal friendship and had no intention of complicating it. Now, he was glad that Audrey had taken initiative to progress their relationship past friendship. Jack took hold of Audrey's hand, glad that they could finally be together with no complications for a change.

Audrey examined Jack's hand in hers. She noticed a scar on the back of his hand and traced it lightly with her fingernail.

"Jack," Audrey said, softly. Jack looked into her eyes. "Are you okay?"

"Of course," he answered. "That healed a long time ago."

"I'm not just talking about your hand," she said. "Did you see a doctor?"

"Yes," Jack assured her. "The Chinese made sure my injuries were healed before handing me over to CTU. And, I saw someone at medical later, too."

"And, did you talk to someone?" Audrey asked. "A psychologist?"

"Audrey, I don't need that," Jack insisted. "I'm fine."

Audrey looked at him suspiciously. "I'm sure you went through hell over there. And, coming back, there was a lot thrown at you. I just think talking about it might be a helpful."

"I'm fine," Jack stated, firmly. He removed his arm from around her shoulders. "I'm over it. I'm ready to move on with my life."

Audrey smiled but didn't quite believe him. She could tell he was struggling but would not force him to talk to her or anyone else about it until he was ready.

"Okay. I'm going to go get ready for bed," Audrey told him. "I have to be up early for work tomorrow."

Jack stayed on the couch and closed his eyes, quickly falling asleep. A little while later, he jolted awake at the feeling of Audrey touching his shoulder. He reminded himself where he was. He was with Audrey. He was safe.

"Sorry," she said softly. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's okay," Jack said.

"Come to bed," Audrey told him, taking his hand. Jack followed behind her. He noticed her hair was wet, meaning she had taken a shower while he had fallen asleep. She was wearing a t-shirt and blue pajama shorts that were really short. Jack couldn't help but stare at her amazing legs.

Audrey collapsed into her bed and Jack changed quickly while Audrey wasn't looking. He didn't want her to see the scars that covered his back, chest, and stomach. She would be horrified. He crawled under the covers next to her, and pulled her close to him. She nuzzled against him.

"This is nice," Audrey said.

"Perfect," Jack agreed. He gave her a quick kiss. "Goodnight, Audrey."

* * *

It was the middle of the night when Jack woke up from another nightmare. He checked to see if Audrey had woken up but she was still sleeping peacefully next to him. He tried falling back to sleep but found it difficult, now that the image of Cheng standing over him was stuck in his head from his nightmare. He then heard babbling on the baby monitor on Audrey's nightstand. He quickly reached for it and turned it off, not wanting it to wake Audrey. She had been the one checking on the baby at nights and Jack wanted her to take a night off. He got up, taking the baby monitor with him and went into his son's room. Jack Jr. was not crying but was standing up in his crib, clearly not tired.

"Can't sleep?" Jack asked, lifting his son into his arms. "Me neither."

Jack sat in the rocking chair next to them and listened as the baby babbled away. At one point, Jack read a book to him that Jack Jr. had pointed to on the shelf. Eventually, Jack Jr. fell asleep in Jack's arms and Jack also fell asleep, holding him closely.

* * *

"Jack?" Audrey called out, as she felt the empty bed next to her. Panic immediately rushed through her. Was he gone? Had he left? She convinced herself she was being paranoid and left the bedroom to see where he had gone. She smiled as she found him in Jack Jr.'s room, asleep in the rocking chair with the sleeping child in his arms. She went over to her boys and gently tried to take her Jack Jr. from Jack. Jack immediately woke up and held onto the child tightly.

"It's just me," she told him. Jack released his grip and handed the kid over to Audrey. "Did he wake you up? I never heard him."

"No, I was awake. I heard him on the monitor and came to check on him," Jack told her. "Then, we fell asleep."

"Was he crying?" Audrey asked.

"No," Jack assured her. "He just wanted some company."

"Sounds like you did too," Audrey commented. Jack shrugged indifferently. "Want some breakfast?"

"Sure," Jack said. Jack helped Audrey cut up some fruit for Jack Jr.'s breakfast and the three of them ate together at the table. Jack then helped get the baby dressed for the day, as Audrey got dressed for work.

"Alright, buddy," Audrey said, picking up Jack Jr. "Let's get you to daycare."

"Daycare?" Jack asked.

"Yeah. It's a place where kids go when their parents are working," Audrey teased.

"I've heard of it," Jack said, with a laugh. "But, I'm not working."

Audrey smiled. "You would want to watch him?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"You've just been through a lot," Audrey reminded him. "And, you only just found out about him yesterday. I just figured you'd need a break."

"I can handle it," Jack told her.

"He can be pretty exhausting," Audrey warned him. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," Jack insisted. "Please."

"Okay," Audrey agreed. She grabbed a pen and pad of paper and started writing down a list.

"What is that?" Jack asked.

"List of phone numbers. My cell and work. Kim, the daycare in case you change your mind, the pediatrician, poison control. The basics."

"You clearly have a lot of faith in me," Jack joked.

"It's just in case," Audrey told him. "Kim gets out of work at three in case you need relief. I'll be home at five."

Audrey started showing him where everything that he might need is located in the house until Jack stopped her.

"Really, Audrey, I've got this," he told her. Audrey took a deep breath and relaxed. She gave both Jack and Jack Jr. kisses goodbye and left for work.

Jack got settled with his son in the living room with a bunch of toys. They were playing happily together for a while. Jack was eager to spend the day with his son. He wanted to learn everything about him, his favorite toys and foods. He hadn't taken care of a child in a long time and was a little nervous about knowing what to do. But, he assured himself that it couldn't be too hard. He wanted to do a good job today so Audrey would trust him with their son. As they were playing, the phone rang and Jack answered it.

"Hey," Audrey said. "Just making sure everything is okay."

"Everything is great," Jack assured her.

"You'll call if there are any problems?" Audrey asked.

"Yes," Jack insisted.

"Alright. I'll call when I can," Audrey said. "Love you."

"Love you too," Jack told her, before hanging up.

"Your mom is crazy," Jack said, as he sat back down next to Jack Jr.

"Mama?" Jack Jr. asked, dropping his toys and looking around.

"She's working right now," Jack told him. Jack watched as the kid's eyes filled up with tears. Suddenly, he burst into tears and cried for his mom. Jack held his son and tried to console him with no luck. He tried giving him different toys to make him happy, none of which did the trick. After trying everything he could think of with no luck he decided he needed to call someone. Not Audrey. He didn't want to tell her that it had been less than an hour and he had already failed. He instead dialed Kim's number.

"Kim, it's me," Jack said, trying to talk loud enough to be heard over the crying. "Do you have a minute?"

"You offered to watch Jack, didn't you?" Kim laughed, hearing the crying baby in the background.

"I can't get him to stop crying," Jack told her. "I think he misses Audrey."

"Oh yeah," Kim said. "That happens sometimes. Underneath the TV, there's a cabinet with a bunch of movies in it. See if you can find The Lion King. That will calm him down."

"Thank you," Jack said, hanging up.

He found the movie and put it on, and found that Kim was right. Jack Jr. was immediately captivated by it, forgetting his sadness. Jack loved watching his son try to sing along to the songs but not being able to make out the words.

Later, Jack got experience changing Jack Jr.'s diaper. Jack removed the old diaper and found himself getting sprayed by a stream of urine which soaked his shirt. Jack sighed and changed the diaper and then his shirt. He figured it served him right considering he had told Audrey he knew what was doing.

Jack then warmed some macaroni and cheese that Audrey had left for Jack Jr's lunch. Jack watched as his son held the spoon in one hand while picking up the macaroni with his other hand and put it in his mouth. Jack reheated a leftover slice of pizza from yesterday for himself. As they ate together, Jack Jr. reached out towards Jack's food.

"Do you want a bite of pizza?" Jack asked. He ripped off a small bite and gave it to his son who seemed to really enjoy it. Jack Jr. then returned the gesture by picking up a handful of macaroni and giving it to Jack.

"Thank you," Jack said. After lunch, Jack cleaned the cheese off of Jack Jr, who squirmed and cried as Jack did so. As soon as he was free, Jack Jr. crawled away to his room where he stood up next to his toy box and pulled out a coloring book.

"Co lo" the baby said, trying to say color.

"Yeah, let's color," Jack grabbed the crayons out of the toy box and handed them to Jack Jr. He watched as he scribbled different colors all over the page. Jack heard the phone ring and went to the other room to grab it.

"Hello?" Jack answered.

"Hey, it's me," Audrey said. "How's it going?"

"Great!" Jack told her. "We just finished lunch and now we're coloring."

"No problems?" Audrey asked.

"No," Jack insisted. "Go back to work."

"Alright," Audrey agreed. They said their goodbyes and hung up.

Jack went back into Jack Jr.'s room to find Jack drawing all along the light blue wall with green crayon. The line of green stretched across two walls.

Jack took the crayon from his son and picked him up, putting him in his crib. He grabbed a sponge and tried getting the crayon off with not much luck.

"You're making me look bad," Jack told his son. Jack put the crayons away before taking Jack Jr. out of his crib.

They played with some toys for a while before Jack Jr. started crying again for no reason that was apparent to Jack. Jack again tried to make him happy, but not even his favorite movie helped. The phone rang as he was trying to settle him down but Jack ignored it, knowing that it would be Audrey checking in and didn't want her to hear the baby crying. It was not long before Kim walked into Audrey's house and shook her head at her dad, holding the crying child.

"Kim, what are you doing here?" Jack asked, clearly stressed.

Kim reached out and took Jack Jr. into her arms. "I just got out of work and got a call from a very concerned Audrey who said you didn't answer the phone when she called."

Jack noticed that the crying had stopped.

"How did you do that?" Jack asked.

"When you are stressed, he will feel it," Kim told him. "Kids cry. You don't have to panic as soon as he does. He will calm down but only if you are calm."

Kim continued, "I'm going to put him down for a nap. You are going to call Audrey and tell her everything is fine. Rule number one is never ignore a mom's phone call. Ever."

Jack called Audrey and told her that everything was fine and that he had just had his hands full at the time and couldn't answer the phone.

"I'm really sorry," Jack apologized.

"It's okay. I'm glad everything's okay," Audrey replied.

"Kim's here now so you don't have to worry anymore," Jack told her. Audrey went silent. She hadn't meant for Jack to think she didn't trust him with their child. "I'll see you when you get home."

He hung up at the same time that Kim walked back into the living room where Jack was sitting on the couch.

"So, tell me about today," Kim probed.

"Well, between two crying fits that I couldn't do anything about, getting peed on, and him coloring on the wall as soon as I turned my back, I would say today sucked."

Kim chuckled.

"Do you find my inability to take care of a child to be funny?" Jack asked.

"Dad, those are normal things that happen when you watch kids," Kim assured him. "It takes a while to figure out what they need when they cry. It takes a while to remember that kids will draw on absolutely everything except their coloring book. Getting peed on usually only happens once cause you'll be smarter about it next time."

"I just didn't want to let Audrey down today," Jack admitted. "She is so good at this stuff."

"You think that she hasn't experienced the exact same things?" Kim asked. "Audrey is human too. There was a day when Jack was three months old when Audrey begged me to watch him because he wouldn't stop crying for an entire day and she couldn't take it anymore. I took him for the whole next day so that Audrey could relax. I think you should let him go to daycare tomorrow and take a day for yourself."

Jack nodded. He didn't know when his daughter had become so wise but was incredibly proud of her. They talked for a while before Jack Jr. woke up from his nap. Once he did, Kim went to get him and the three of them sat together on the couch, relaxing until Audrey came home.

"Hi," Audrey greeted as she walked through the door. Audrey immediately reached for Jack Jr. and took him into her arms.

"Mama mama," the child cooed.

"Hi! Did you have a good day with Daddy?" she asked. Jack Jr. smiled and laughed.

"I guess that's a positive rating," Audrey said, to Jack and Kim. Kim excused herself, saying that she was going to go home and cook dinner with Steven.

"How was your day?" Audrey asked, Jack sitting down next to him and giving him a quick kiss.

"It was g-"

"Don't just say it was good," Audrey warned. "I know my kid and I know he was not a perfect little angel."

"There was a lot of crying," Jack told her.

"You or him?" Audrey asked, jokingly.

"I just couldn't get him to stop. I called Kim and she told me how to make him stop the first time and then she just held him the second time and he was fine."

"Jack, why didn't you call me?" Audrey asked, wondering why he wouldn't ask her how to get the baby to stop crying first.

Jack looked away from her. "I guess I was being a little over confident this morning and just didn't want you to think I couldn't handle it."

"Jack, I know you can handle it," Audrey told him. "I'm sorry if you thought I kept calling because I don't trust you. That's not it at all. I call Kim or Steven or whoever is watching him just as many times. I worry about him with everyone because he is my entire world. It has nothing to do with me not believing in you."

Jack sighed in relief.

"So what else did you guys do today?" Audrey asked. "There had to be something positive."

"Well, we watched The Lion King."

"Oh my God. Did he try singing along? Isn't it the cutest?" Audrey asked, excitedly. Jack agreed with her.

"We also shared some lunch. It was so cute. I shared a bite of my pizza with him and then he picked up a fist full of macaroni and cheese and gave it to me."

Audrey smiled. It was nice getting to hear that Jack had good moments with Jack Jr. today and that he hadn't cried the whole time.

"And, then we did some coloring," Jack told her, not so enthusiastically. "And, I will be buying paint to cover up the crayon your wall."

Audrey laughed. "Green crayon?"

"Yeah. How'd you know?"

"So, a logical person would assume it's just because green is his favorite color and that's just the color he chooses from the box," Audrey started. "But, I think he's protesting. Originally, his room was green. But, then I painted it blue. And, I think he's holding it against me by coloring it green every chance he gets."

Jack and Audrey were both laughing. Jack reached for Jack Jr. from Audrey's arms and pulled him into his lap.

"You think our eleven month old son is trying to tell you that he wants his room to be green again?" Jack asked, skeptically. Audrey nodded, laughing. Jack smiled and shook his head at her. It was nice to be able to relax with Audrey again. It had been too long since they laughed together.

"Come on," she said, standing up and extending her hand to Jack. "I'll show you my secret for getting the crayon off the wall."

Jack took her hand willingly. He was happy that he survived his first day of parenting in over twenty years without too much damage. And, knowing that Audrey didn't expect him to be perfect was exactly what he needed to hear.


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: Hope you enjoy this chapter! Reminder that for this story, season six ended when they found Fayed. Please let me know what you think!_

Jack took Kim's advice to take the next day off from watching Jack Jr. Audrey agreed that it would be good for Jack to take some time for himself. However, Jack found himself particularly bored. And, when he let himself get bored, his mind would drift to the tortures he endured in China. Instead, Jack found himself keeping busy around the house, cleaning up toys and doing laundry to help out. Anything to keep his mind moving. After a while, there was no housework left to do and he decided to take a drive.

He drove until he arrived at CTU. He figured it would be a good idea to check up on the aftermath of the attacks that he had helped with only a few days earlier, especially considering the role his family played in the attacks.

"Jack?" Chloe called out, as he walked onto the floor.

"Hi Chloe," Jack greeted. "How's everything going here?"

"Fine, I guess," Chloe answered. "Busy, mostly. How are you? Did you see Kim and Audrey?"

"And, my son," Jack added. "A warning would have been nice."

"Sorry. It wasn't my news to tell."

"How did you know?" Jack asked, remembering that Chloe and Audrey weren't really friends.

"She mentioned it to me right before Bill kicked her out of CTU," Chloe said.

"Bill kicked her out?" Jack asked, surprised.

"I probably shouldn't have told you that," Chloe mumbled.

"What for?"

"When Audrey would come to LA, she would come here and use CTU's resources to work on rescuing you. Mostly, she was recruiting me to the cause which I was all for but Bill didn't like that it was taking time away from my actual work."

"I guess that explains why she's working with DSS now," Jack said. He had wondered why she wasn't working with CTU after moving to LA. He figured she had just been looking for a more regularly timed job with the baby, which was likely part of why she had made the switch.

Just then, Bill Buchanan made his way over to Jack and Chloe. "Jack. Good to see you."

"You too, Bill," Jack replied.

"Let's go to my office," Bill suggested. Jack said goodbye to Chloe and followed Bill to his office.

"I was wondering when or if I'd see you again," Bill said. Jack asked Bill for an update on how the aftermath of the terrorist attacks which Bill gave him.

"And, my father?" Jack inquired. "Has he been found?"

Bill shook his head. "Sorry, Jack. He's still out there."

Jack let his head sink for a moment, remembering his father and brother's involvement in the attacks. Not only the other day but with the nerve gas and Palmer's assassination. Both were traitors to their country. Jack was happy that Graem was dead. He hated thinking of how Phillip was still out there somewhere. Thinking of his family reminded Jack that he should get in touch with Marilyn and Josh soon to make sure they are okay.

"We'll find him," Bill promised. Jack nodded.

Bill asked, "What have you been doing? Where have you been staying?"

"With Audrey," Jack told him.

"How is she?" Bill asked.

Jack smiled. "Good. Actually, we have a son."

Bill looked confused.

"She was pregnant the last time you saw her," Jack explained.

"That would explain a lot," Bill reasoned, thinking back to her erratic behavior and now blaming it on hormones. "I didn't want to ask her to leave. But, she was so hell-bent on getting you back that she was interfering with our day to day operations. Audrey's a pretty level-headed woman. But, back then, you wouldn't have even recognized her. Anyway, I'm glad to hear that she's doing well and that you two finally have a chance to be together."

"Thanks," Jack said.

"Speaking of being together," Bill started. "I'm moving to D.C. to be closer to Karen."

"Congratulations," Jack responded.

"I need to put a recommendation into Division for who I want to take over CTU," Bill told him. "I'd like to put you. If you would want me to."

Jack was taken aback. "I haven't ran CTU in years."

"You are more than capable," Bill praised.

Jack thought it over for a minute. "I'm not sure."

"Well, think about it," Bill said. "Let me know by the end of the week. It doesn't mean you have to take it or that Division will even offer it to you but at least your name will be in the mix."

"Thanks. I'll think about it." Jack left CTU, considering whether or not he would want to run CTU again. He desperately wanted to be working again. It had been too long since he held an actual job. He wanted to be able to provide for his beautiful family. But, working at CTU always came with risks.

He put it out of his mind and went to pick up Jack Jr. from daycare. The child bounced and hummed in his arms as he carried him to the car and Jack talked to him, asking about his day even though there would be no meaningful response. Jack got the child situated in his car seat and buckled him in and checked three times before deciding that he had done it correctly. He called Audrey on his way home to tell her that he had picked up Jack Jr. so that she wouldn't head there after work.

Audrey arrived home from work an hour later. After putting the baby to bed that night, Audrey told Jack about her day and asked how his day to himself had gone.

"I went to CTU," Jack told her.

Jack noticed Audrey jaw clench. "Why?"

"I just wanted an update from the attacks the other day."

"Why?" Audrey repeated, with an obvious distaste in her voice.

"You really hate CTU," Jack commented, with a smile. "I heard about Bill kicking you out."

"Oh please," Audrey laughed. "You think that's when I began hating CTU?"

"It's not?"

"No," Audrey assured him, taking his hand. "Jack, you give everything to CTU the minute they ask. But, they are so quick to throw you under the bus for their problems. After everything you've done for them, they forget about you in an instant. They didn't care that you were taken by the Chinese. You are completely expendable to them."

"It's a job, Audrey. I don't need them to be my friend," Jack insisted.

"I know. It's just hard to watch. Because I love you so much and you are not expendable to me," Audrey said. Jack smiled at her and squeezed her hand. He had to admit it felt nice to hear that. "Looking back, Bill had every right to kick me out. Honestly, if my dad wasn't the Secretary of Defense, I probably would have been fired. I was misusing DOD and CTU resources. I didn't care. I just wanted you back with me."

Jack wasn't sure how to respond so he just pulled her closer. Jack now had Audrey sitting sideways on his lap on the couch, her head nestled into his neck.

"Anyway," Audrey segwayed, wanting to change the subject. "Why was it so important for you to get an update at CTU? You're not going back there, right?"

"The terrorist attacks were personal this time," Jack told her, his fingers tapping nervously on her leg. Audrey didn't ask questions but just cuddled up against Jack's shoulder, which made Jack want to tell her more. "My father and my brother were involved in the attacks."

Audrey looked up at him confused. "Involved, as in working with the terrorists?"

"That would be putting it nicely," Jack muttered. Jack explained to her how they were involved in everything from the Sentox nerve gas attacks to David Palmer's assassination, to the deaths of Tony and Michelle to the theft of the suitcase nukes. He told her about how Graem had killed Tony and Michelle to lure him out of hiding in order to frame him for the assassination of President Palmer. Then, how Graem was responsible for the Chinese capturing him. Finally, about how they had tried to cover up the theft of nuclear weapons to protect their company.

"They're in custody now?" Audrey asked.

"My father still hasn't been brought in," Jack told her. "He was about to kill me but ran away instead. CTU hasn't been able to find him."

"They will though," Audrey assured him. "What about your brother?"

"Graem is dead."

"Jack, did you-"

"No," Jack interrupted, telling her that he did not kill his brother. "I thought I killed Graem for a while. He died of cardiac arrest from hyoscine-pentothal after I interrogated him."

He felt Audrey tense against him. She knew how badly the drug hurt from when she was framed during the nerve gas attacks. Jack kissed the top of her head in an attempt to apologize for making her think of that terrible memory.

"But, it wasn't you?" she asked.

Jack shook his head. "My father administered another dose afterwards that killed him. He didn't want to risk Graem implicating him."

"God," Audrey breathed, wondering how someone could kill their own son. "I'm so sorry that all this happened."

"Me too," Jack said, coldly. "They didn't deserve to get off that easily. And, they left the mess of their company for Marilyn to clean up."

"Who's Marilyn?"

"Graem's wife," Jack told her, leaving out that she also happened to be his ex and that he had almost given into her attempt to kiss him. As much as his old feelings for Marilyn had resurfaced that day, he desperately wanted to see Audrey again.

"Wow, I can't even imagine what she's going through," Audrey commented. "Have you checked in on her at all?"

"Not yet," Jack answered. "I told her I'd come check on her and her son, Josh. I should. Tomorrow."

Audrey nodded in agreement. Jack relaxed and noticed that he had been tightly gripping Audrey's leg just above her knee. He released his grip, afraid that he might have been hurting her.

"Sorry," he muttered, moving his hand down her smooth leg gently.

"It didn't hurt," Audrey promised him. Audrey relaxed completely into Jack as he massaged her calves. She always loved the feeling of his warm, strong hands on her. She felt his hands slide upwards to her knees and then to her thighs. Audrey let out a soft moan as his hands massaged her inner thighs. Jack smiled at the sound of Audrey reacting to his touch.

"You have the most amazing legs," Jack whispered into her ear. Audrey instantly was turned on by the sound of his deep sexy voice in her ear. Audrey kissed him, as Jack continued to caress her legs. Audrey ran her hands across his chest and deepened the kiss. Jack let his hands continue up her leg. He was getting lost in the moment. He enjoyed turning her on like this and wanted to touch her and make her feel incredible. However, he still wasn't sure how she'd react to his scars. He wasn't ready to show her.

Audrey loved the feeling of Jack's hands moving upwards towards where she desperately wanted him to touch her. But, now she wanted to feel him. She tried to reposition herself in a way that she would be able to pay Jack the same level of attention that he was giving her but was stopped by Jack who held her where she was. Audrey looked at him questioningly.

"Let me take care of you tonight," Jack insisted. Audrey was about to protest to tell him that she wanted more than that, but Jack continued. "Just relax."

Audrey didn't continue with her protest, as she was distracted by Jack's hand which now touching her most sensitive parts through her panties. Jack could feel the wetness on them which confirmed for him that he was still able to turn her on. Jack's hands moved out from under her skirt quickly and Audrey was disappointed until she felt him pushing her skirt and panties off completely. He then unbuttoned her blouse and she helped him get it off. Finally, he removed her bra, leaving her completely naked on his lap. Jack looked over her body. She was leaning back against the armrest of the couch. She was just as beautiful as he remembered.

"Jack," she moaned, as he ran his hand over her breasts. He continued massaging her breasts as his other hand moved lower and lower until finding its target. Audrey bit her lip as Jack inserted his fingers inside her to avoid screaming out in pleasure. Jack stroked her gently at first and increasingly harder until he felt her walls closing around his fingers and her face burying into his shoulder as she called out his name.

Jack held Audrey closely as she came down from her high. Audrey felt completely exhausted and rested her head against Jack's shoulder.

"Thank you," she whispered, kissing his cheek. "That felt incredible."

"Anytime," Jack promised, his fingertips tracing circles on her hip. Audrey smiled. After a minute, Jack heard Audrey's rhythmic breathing and realized she had fallen asleep. He carefully lifted her and carried her to the bedroom. He laid her gently onto the bed and fell asleep next to her.

* * *

 _Jack could just barely see one of Cheng's men, since one of his eyes was bruised and swollen from his last beating. All he could see was a bright red glow. He fought against his restraints knowing that they were about to touch his naked body with the scalding hot metal. He clenched his teeth as the guard pressed the flaming metal rod in between his shoulder blades. He attempted not to scream. He didn't want to give the guards or Cheng the satisfaction. However, he found it impossible to hold back as they continued by not only touching the glowing metal to his skin but also beating him with it. They hit his back, chest, and stomach repeatedly. The guards shook him by the shoulders, every time he looked like he would pass out._

"Jack," Audrey called out, gently trying to shake him awake, as he screamed aloud next to her. "Jack, wake up."

Jack woke up covered in sweat with Audrey looking over him with a worried expression on her face.

"It's okay," Audrey told him. "You're safe."

Jack sat up, unable to speak.

Audrey rubbed his shoulder gently. Jack was dripping in sweat and his skin felt warm.

"I'll get you some water," Audrey suggested. Jack nodded slightly and Audrey got up and got him a glass of water, which he drank in seconds.

"Are you okay?" Audrey asked, after Jack seemed more relaxed.

Jack nodded. "I'm fine. I'm so sorry I woke you."

"Jack, you don't have to apologize," Audrey insisted, brushing the backs of her hands against his cheeks and touched her forehead to his. It broke her heart to hear him screaming next to her. He was clearly in a lot of pain in his nightmare.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked.

"No." Jack shook his head. "I'm fine now."

Audrey watched him skeptically. "Okay. How about you get changed before we go back to bed?"

Jack knew there was no way he would get back to sleep tonight. Jack leaned forward, letting his lips brush against Audrey. "I think I'll shower first."

"And, then you'll come back to bed?" Audrey asked, knowing full well that he had no intention of doing that.

Jack sighed. "Go back to sleep. I love you."

"Love you too," she replied, her eyes already half closed.

Jack went to the shower. It felt nice to wash away the layer of sweat on his body. However, as the warm water washed over him, he couldn't help but think of the nightmare he had had. His nightmare had been more than a dream. It was his memory of the first time they used the hot metal rod to beat him. Looking back this wasn't even one of the worst things he had to endure but his nightmare made him feel like he was back in that moment. Jack tried to force it out of his mind. He couldn't stay focused on any one topic for very long before his mind would return back to China.

He sighed and left the shower, realizing that he should not stay in there with his thoughts. He opened the door to Jack Jr.'s room and found his son sleeping peacefully. He wished he was awake. He needed a distraction. He puttered around the house. He found that a handle to one of the cabinet doors in the kitchen was loose and fixed it up by tightening the screw. He then went into Jack Jr.'s toy box and began organizing the toys. He continued to find new projects to keep himself occupied, not wanting to let his brain rest. Eventually it became six in the morning and Jack started the coffee to have it ready for when Audrey woke in a few minutes.

She came out of the bedroom yawning. Jack noticed she had put on an old t-shirt of his which barely covered her bottom.

"Morning," she groaned, sitting down at the table with Jack and taking the coffee he had put out for her.

"You didn't come back to bed," she complained, rubbing his back.

"I wasn't tired," Jack lied.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yes," Jack insisted. "It was just a bad dream."

"Okay," Audrey agreed, unconvinced. "Well, I missed having you next to me."

She leaned in to kiss him and Jack accepted, his hands caressing her cheeks.

Audrey took another sip of her coffee before getting up to get breakfast. Jack followed her and grabbed the milk out of the fridge as Audrey filled two bowls with cereal. Jack put the milk down on the counter and stood up against Audrey whose back was to him. He snaked his arms around her waist and kissed her on the back of her shoulder.

Jack tugged gently on the t-shirt she was wearing. "You know, I think this is mine."

Audrey turned around to face him and smiled. "Not anymore."

"You were the one complaining that I didn't buy enough clothes when I came back," Jack countered. "I'm going to need this one back. Immediately."

Audrey's heart was beating out of her chest as Jack lifted the shirt over her head and looked over her body. Jack hungrily kissed her, his hands roaming her chest, stomach, and butt. Jack grabbed her by the hips and lifted her onto the counter. Audrey wrapped her legs around Jack's hips as they kissed, pulling him closer to her. Just as Jack began moving his lips to her neck and downwards, they heard the baby crying.

Audrey and Jack locked eyes for a moment, wishing they continue. Audrey hopped off the counter and picked up Jack's old t-shirt from the floor and put it back on.

"You're not taking my t-shirt," Audrey insisted, with a chuckle.

"You can keep it," Jack agreed, following her to Jack Jr.'s room. "It looks better on you anyway."

Audrey and Jack got the baby ready for the day and Audrey insisted that she take him to daycare on her way to work since Jack had barely gotten any sleep the night before.

"Audrey," Jack pleaded. "I'm not tired. I want to spend the day with him."

Audrey shook her head. "Didn't you say you were going to be visiting your sister-in-law and her son today? How about you get some sleep, do that, and pick him up from daycare later?"

Jack realized this was not a suggestion and reluctantly agreed. They kissed goodbye. Jack was left alone with his thoughts once again. He tried once again to distract himself with small projects around the house. He realized it was times like this when he desperately wished that he had a job. A fast-paced one. He picked up his phone and stared at it contemplating the offer Bill had made him.

Originally, he had put CTU out of his mind after realizing that he had a bright future with Audrey, their son, and Kim. He knew that working in the field again would be out of the question. He wouldn't put Audrey and his kids through that. But, Director of CTU was different. It was technically a desk-job. He could make it work so long as he wasn't tempted into the field. And, telling Bill that he was interested didn't mean he had to accept. It would take time to hear back from Division and they would likely give the job to someone who was currently working for CTU instead, despite Bill's recommendation. There was really no harm in being recommended. He dialed Bill's number and reached his voicemail.

"Bill, it's Jack. I would be interested in the job if you still wanted to recommend me," Jack told him. "Thanks."

* * *

Jack arrived at Marilyn's house in the afternoon. Marilyn opened the door and welcomed Jack inside, pulling him into a hug.

"It's good to see you," Jack said. "I hope this isn't a bad time."

Marilyn laughed. "If you waited for a good time, you never would have been able to come."

"I'm sorry. I'm sure this hasn't been easy for you. Or Josh." Jack followed her into the living room and sat down in the chair across from her. "How are you holding up?"

"Is it wrong to say that I feel relieved?" Marilyn asked. "Graem is dead. And, honestly, it just puts my mind at ease."

"I get it," Jack agreed.

"Any word on Phillip?" Marilyn asked.

Jack shook his head.

"You don't think he'd come after Josh again, do you?"

"No," Jack assured her. "He doesn't want to be found. He's hoping for a clean getaway."

"I hope so," Marilyn said. "I mean, obviously I would prefer if he went to jail but I'm happy as long as he doesn't come back here."

Jack nodded in agreement. "How is everything going with BXJ Technologies?"

"The company has been a handful," she admitted. "Investors are angry and pulling out. There are hefty fines to pay. The business is going down but I'm just worried that there won't be enough money to pay the fines. I don't know if they can go after Graem's estates but I have no idea what to do if it comes to that."

"Do you have lawyers and financial advisors helping you?" Jack asked.

"Yes," Marilyn assured him. "I just hope this will be over soon."

Jack nodded. "And, how is Josh?"

"He's not great," Marilyn told him. "He's still confused about everything that happened."

"I can help with that," Jack promised. "Is he here?"

"No, he's at school. He should be home in a half hour or so. I told him to take some time off, but I think he likes the distraction." Marilyn dropped her head into her hands. "As terrible a man as Graem was, he was a good father to Josh. I hate knowing how much Josh misses him."

Jack reached out and put a hand on her shoulder as she cried. After a minute, she wiped her eyes and placed her hand on top of Jack's.

"Thank you," Marilyn said, rubbing his hand lovingly. "Will you stay and wait for Josh?"

"Sure," Jack agreed, pulling his hand away.

"How have you been the last few days?" Marilyn finally asked. "Where have you been staying? Because you're more than welcome to stay here."

"Thank you. I'm actually staying with Audrey."

"Audrey," Marilyn repeated. Jack could hear the disappointment in her voice. "Is she the woman you were with before China?"

"Yes," Jack confirmed.

"And, she still wants to be with you?" Marilyn probed.

"Yes," Jack agreed, trying to hold back the smile forming on his lips. "We actually have a child together. A boy."

Marilyn smiled. As disappointed as she was about Jack going back to Audrey, she couldn't help but smile at the thought of Jack's child. She figured he must be incredibly cute.

"I'd love to meet them sometime," Marilyn replied.

Josh came home a little while later and was happy to see his uncle. Marilyn left them alone for a while to talk and Jack answered all of Josh's questions about the attacks. Josh was clearly still upset about his father's death.

"You're okay with being back in school so soon?" Jack asked. "Your mom said you can take some time off."

"I don't want to get behind," Josh explained. "Besides, I like to keep busy."

Jack could relate. He was doing the same. He looked for anything to keep him busy so he wouldn't have to think about China.

"Eventually you'll have to face everything that happened. You can't hide behind school work forever," Jack told him. Josh nodded. "Well, I'm just a phone call away if you need someone to talk to."

"Thanks Uncle Jack," Josh responded.

Jack said goodbye to Marilyn on his way out, who pulled him into a tight hug.

"Thank you for talking to him," Marilyn said.

"Anytime," Jack told her. "It was good to see you."

Marilyn smiled shyly and Jack felt uncomfortable thinking that she may have misinterpreted his words to mean more than what he said.

Jack left and picked up his son from daycare. Jack found himself getting better at this parenting thing. He was learning Jack Jr.'s favorite toys and foods. Jack had even been helping him learn to walk. Jack Jr. was so close to taking his first unassisted steps but still hadn't managed to figure it out.

Audrey came home and sat with them while they played. She was happy to see that Jack was enjoying his time with their son better than on the first day he watched him.

"How was your sister-in-law and her son?" Audrey asked, as they watched Jack Jr. sort different shaped blocks into a box.

"They're doing okay," Jack told her. "Josh has been going to school to keep himself distracted. I don't think it's the best idea. Everything is going to catch up to him if he doesn't take a minute to let himself think about it."

"Hmm," Audrey shrugged.

"What?"

"Nothing. Obviously he is part of the Bauer family."

"Audrey, I'm completely fine," Jack assured her, knowing the connection she was trying to make. "It's just that he is a kid. He needs help working through it."

"And, you don't?" Audrey asked, skeptically.

"Audrey, please believe me. I don't need any help."

Audrey sighed. "Okay."

Jack got up to get a drink of water. Audrey noticed Jack Jr. stand up. He watched his dad walk to the kitchen. As Jack walked back into the room, it looked like Jack Jr. was about to take a step.

"Stop," Audrey instructed Jack. "Stay there and see if he'll walk to you."

Jack crouched to the ground a short distance away from Jack Jr. Jack extended his arm out trying to entice him. Eventually Jack Jr. perked up the courage and took a few steps towards Jack before falling to the ground. Jack and Audrey couldn't stop smiling and celebrating Jack Jr.'s first steps. Jack felt especially honored that the first steps were an attempt to walk to him.

Jack and Audrey had Jack Jr. practice walking back and forth between them until he got tired of it and went back to playing with his toys. Jack and Audrey gave each other a kiss, happy that they were there to witness their child's first steps together.


End file.
